The Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group works to help people whose rights have been violated and investigates cases involving such abuse, as well as assessing the overall human rights situation in Ukraine. The Group also seeks to develop awareness of human rights issues through public events and its various publications

Nuclear waste buried in Sebastopol

The Sebastopol human rights protection group has obtained information that in 1993 the Black Sea Navy dismounted nuclear warheads, and some parts of them were buried in Sebastopol. The USS directorate checked this fact and ruled not to start a criminal case.

Yet, lieutenant colonel of justice S.V. Dedov, the senior detective of especially important cases of the investigation department of the USS directorate in Sebastopol, took this decision only on the testimony of one former officer of the Russian Black Sea Navy, who was in charge of work with personnel. The Sebastopol human rights protection group finds the actions of the USS insufficient. That is why the group addressed admiral Komoyedov, the commander-in-chief of the Russian Black Sea Navy, with the request to confirm or to deny the information about burying radioactive waste in Sebastopol. Taking into account the extreme importance of the problem, the Sebastopol human rights protection group appeals to everyone interested to direct their requests to competent state officials, to begin journalist investigations, to carry out public discussions and information exchange.

Below we print our request to admiral Komoyedov.

Commander-in-chief

of the Russian Black Sea Navy

Admiral Komoyedov V. P.

Copies: to mass media

Dear admiral,

Our organization has information, until now not confirmed by official sources, that in 1993 some military units of the Black Sea Navy dismounted nuclear warheads. Then, according to the same information, the radioactive waste was secretly buried in one of the mines within Sebastopol territory.

Any information concerning potential danger of radioactive waste for people and environment is of especial interest for the public. That is why we have to pay attention to any sources of information, regardless of their reliability. At the same time the data we know do not enable us to draw any definite conclusions at present.

In this connection I turn to you with the convincing request to make us acquainted with the official information on the problem. I dare to remind you that Article 50 of the Constitution of Ukraine guarantees every citizen the right to live in safe environment and the right to access to the information on the state of the environment: the same article prohibits making such information secret.